If You Only Knew
by Pyrinsomniac
Summary: -Complete- What happens when the boys have to take care of the girls for a change? Basically overdramatic fluff. Pairings: InuKag, SM Rating for language and violence.
1. Battle

            "Hurry up." Kagura said impatiently, glancing over the destruction her newest sibling had wrought.  

            Asilu merely rolled her eyes and cut down four more villagers with her whip.  "These people aren't even primarily the ones we're after.  Why expend energy making it a point to slaughter them all when killing a lesser number will accomplish the same thing?"

            Kagura's silence conceded the point, and she wandered off to await the arrival of Inuyasha and his little gang of misfits.  

*

            Inuyasha stopped, turned, and sniffed the air.

            "Something wrong?" Kagome asked anxiously.  

            "What do you smell?" Miroku added.

            "Human blood." the half- demon replied tightly, dashing off in the direction the scent had come from.  

            The others shared a look and ran after him, Miroku and Sango on foot and Kagome on her bicycle, with Shippo swinging wildly from his deathgrip on her shoulders.  

            They ran for what seemed like an eternity before coming across their first villager.  

            Inuyasha growled.  The man reeked of death.

            "Please, help!" he begged.  "Demons- attacking the village!"  His message delivered, the wind holding him together deserted him and the upper half of his body tumbled away.

            "Kagura." Inuyasha muttered resentfully, increasing his speed.  The others followed some distance behind, shouting in vain for him to wait.

*

            He was here.

            Kagura unfolded herself, and Kanna came to stand beside her.  Asilu strode some distance ahead of them, meeting the half- demon head on.  The poison insects hovered around them.

            "Who're you?" he demanded.

            "My name is Asilu.  I am the most recent incarnation of Naraku." she introduced herself.  Asilu's violet eyes glittered in anticipation.  "And you must be Inuyasha."

            "Oh, aren't you smart." he scoffed, unsheathing the Tetsusaiga.    "Let's get this OVER WITH!"  Inuyasha leapt forward, sword first.

            Asilu sidestepped with a rapidity her opponent could hardly believe.  It reminded him of Juromaru…  

*

            They arrived in the village to find Inuyasha already attacking a tall, female demon with blue- violet hair that they didn't recognize.  

            "Inuyasha." Kagome whispered in worry, as the demon circled around behind him and almost struck him with her whip.  Inuyasha barely managed to use the Tetsusaiga to block it.

            "Get **down**!" Miroku yelled, dragging the girls with him as he leapt sideways to avoid a Dance of Blades attack from Kagura.  Kagome noticed Kanna appear on their other side.  

            Shippo scampered off to what looked like a relatively safe distance, and Kirara stood over him as a guard.  

            Kanna's mirror flared, and Sango stopped cold and began to glow.

            "Oh no you **don't**!" Kagome growled fiercely, firing off an arrow.  The arrow pierced the mirror, and Kanna was forced to abandon her attempt.  

            Sango shook her head and glared at the demon that appeared to be nothing more than a little girl.  

            Kagura reminded them of her presence by sending another attack their way.  The monk dodged.  Sango and Kagome dove in the opposite direction and looked around for Kanna.

            She was gone.

            They looked around wildly for her.  She was doing her little vanishing act again, disappearing from one place and popping up almost instantly in another in a circle around them, so fast that Kagome couldn't get off a shot.

            Sango knew that Kagome was the bigger threat for Kanna, and that the little demon would probably attack from behind to try to steal her soul again.  Sango guarded Kagome's back and readied her chain.  

            Sure enough, Kanna appeared behind Kagome.  Sango threw the chain and was gratified to see it connect.

            "Kagome!" she yelled.

            Her friend didn't need further word.  She spun around and as soon as the arrow was nocked, it was off.  

            Kanna, remembering that she couldn't deflect the arrow, rolled to the side.  The arrow struck the ground, close enough to her that her demon wind (A/N: You know how the Tetsusaiga can cut through the wind scar, the place where the demonic winds collide?  That's the wind I'm talking about.) was dispelled, and Kanna was left next to defenseless.

            Sango readied Hiraikotsu.  

            Kagura, who had been dodging Miroku's written spells (A/N: Real name, please?), sent a volley of Blades her way.  They cut through the chain, and Kanna was freed.

            Perhaps realizing that the girls wouldn't let her near them long enough to steal either of their souls, Kanna ran over to Kagura and the sisters began their own tag team.

            Miroku stopped, trying to fight off the influence of Kanna's mirror.

            Sango pulled him away as Kagome loosed another arrow.  Kagura and Kanna leapt aside.  

            Seeing her chance, Sango hurled Hiraikotsu.  

            Unfortunately, Kanna wasn't as affected by the arrow's proximity as Sango had counted on, and the giant boomerang bounced off her shield again.  The demon hunter dove in time to avoid being struck on the upper body, as she had been before, but Hiraikotsu was too fast for her to pull her legs out of the way in time.  Hit, Sango tumbled out of control.  

            "Sango!" Kagome cried.

            Kagura took advantage and, avoiding Miroku's spells, sent a Dance of Blades attack at Sango.  The injured demon hunter twisted from one side to the other, rolling along the ground, trying desperately to avoid the deadly wind.  She only partially succeeded; the blades ripped gashes in her shoulders, sides, and legs.  

            Miroku and Kagome stood protectively in front of their fallen friend, and Kirara launched herself at the other demons.  

            Kagura tossed the firecat back with a careless flick of her fan.  

            "Kirara!" Shippo cried.  He ran towards her.

            Kagura smiled and sent him flying.  The child fox demon smacked hard against a tree and, unconscious, fell from one branch to another before hitting the ground and lying motionless.  

            "Shippo!" Kagome called.  

            Kagura sent her Blades in his direction.  

            Kagome shot an arrow, shielding the boy.

            "Would- you- stop!" Kagura snarled, using the Dance of Blades yet again.  Miroku and Kagome grabbed Sango and ran.

*

            Inuyasha's eyes narrowed in frustration.  Asilu was too fast, dodging all of his thrusts with the Tetsusaiga.  It was all Inuyasha could do to defend against that whip.  He already had superficial cuts all over his arms.

            The whip snapped again, and Inuyasha jumped straight up and sent an Iron Reaver attack flying at her.  

            Asilu changed direction and streaked toward where Miroku, Sango and Kagome were running from Kagura.  The whip snapped a third time.

            Inuyasha punctured his own arm and tried a Blades of Blood.

            Asilu rolled over in midair, avoiding Inuyasha's attack even as her own opened a deep gash across Kagome's ribs.  The girl cried out and fell, dragging Sango and Miroku with her.  The monk covered both girls with his own body as the Dance of Blades rolled across them.  

            Inuyasha's eyes widened in horror as he hit the ground, watching.  He had never felt so slow as he flashed across the ground to his friends.

            Asilu, taking advantage of his distraction, drew her hands back.  When she flung them forward, lethal lines of red light streaked toward Inuyasha.  He ran through them, ducking under some, running ahead of the brunt of her attack and stepping around the rest.  

            Now the worst part.  The two incarnations' attacks merged, and Inuyasha had to withstand them while he grabbed the girls and monk and ran.  He was slowed by their weight and his awkward hold, and barely missed getting them all killed.  He gave a mighty leap and landed beside Shippo, where he set them down.  

            Asilu touched down beside Kagura, and Kanna came to stand on her other side.  The three demons marched forward.  

            Inuyasha stood in front of the group and drew Tetsusaiga.  Miroku groaned, raising himself up.  Seeing what was happening, he used his staff to pull himself upright and took his place beside the half- demon.  

            "Miroku…" Inuyasha started.

            The monk didn't look at him.  "I won't let you face them alone.  Not while I can fight."

            The half demon shot him a grateful, sidelong look.  "You'll get yourself killed."

            "It was going to happen anyway." Miroku said quietly, determined.  No fear showed on his face, only resignation.  The only sign he gave of agitation was his white- knuckled grip on his staff.  

            A miasma interrupted them, and both friends watched with narrowed eyes and tightened jaws as Naraku emerged from it to stand beside his incarnations.  

            He smiled.  "So."

            "Naraku." Miroku and Inuyasha spat in unison.  

            The half- demon lifted an eyebrow.  "I'm surprised to see you still standing, monk, with all the blood coming from you."

            "I won't die before I kill you." Miroku vowed, and Inuyasha saw the same stubborn conviction in the monk that had kept him fighting so many times, no matter how much it hurt or how much damage he did to himself.  

            Naraku's smile widened.  "Well, you'd better hurry, then."

            Inuyasha dashed forward, drawing the Tetsusaiga.  

            Asilu moved to meet him.  Inuyasha scented the wind scar, and-

            saw Kagura out of the corner of his eye. Remembering that Kanna was also present, he realized if he tried to use the wind scar, she would fire it back on him.  But if he could catch them unawares…  Hoisting Tetsusaiga above his head, he started to bring it down, then switched his handhold and used his Iron Reaver attack.

            Caught off guard, Asilu didn't dodge quickly enough, and the yellow light cut through enough of her kimono (A/N: That IS what they wear, right?  Kagura and Kanna?) to reveal the spider scar on her back.  She and Inuyasha hit the ground at the same time.

            Asilu snapped her whip, but Inuyasha drew the Tetsusaiga and used it to shield himself again.  She growled in frustration.  

*

            At the same time that Inuyasha started fighting with Asilu again, Miroku took on Kagura.  The wind sorceress sent her favorite Dance of Blades attack at him; Miroku, having learned from the last time he'd done this, spun his staff to deflect some and sidestepped others.  

            Kanna angled her mirror at him.

            Out of nowhere, a sacred arrow appeared and pierced the mirror.  

            "So Kikyo's reincarnation is still alive." Naraku observed, turning his attention to Kagome.  The girl had pulled herself upright and was holding herself there with a hand to the ground.  The other was pressed against her wound.  

            _I hope he doesn't try anything else._ Kagome hoped, though she knew it was in vain.  _I don't think I have the strength for another arrow._

            Kagura sent her Dance of Blades at them.

            One arrow shielded them, and another provided cover for Hiraikotsu, thrown with all the desperate strength Sango had left.

            Kagura, Kanna and Naraku were all forced to move for the giant boomerang, which sailed past them-

            and went right through the midsection of Asilu, who had turned at the noise Hiraikotsu made.

            Naraku's mouth tightened.  He sent a miasma swirling around the group and disappeared in another one.

            Inuyasha made his way through the deadly stuff as quickly as he could.

            Kagome, coughing, fired her last arrow into the ground.  The pink light that accompanied her shots pierced the miasma long enough for Inuyasha to reach them and drag them out of the worst of it.  

A/N:  This is my newest fic, and if I'm going to neglect a story, it'll probably be this one.  I've only seen the episodes CTN has aired, which means that I've only seen up to Father's Mortal Enemy, Ryukottesei (spelling?).  I haven't seen that episode, but I have seen the one before it.  Just think of this as my way of coping with yet ANOTHER plague of reruns.  Virtual cookies to anyone who reviews.  Tell me what you think!  If you like, I'll continue.  If you don't I'll probably continue anyway until I lose interest.  BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!  


	2. Aftermath

            Kagome moaned and slowly opened her eyes.  The first thing she saw was Inuyasha's worried face.

            "You're awake." he observed quietly, looking relieved.  

            "Inu- yasha." she managed, trying to prop herself up on an elbow.  

            "Take it easy." he urged, helping her back down but keeping her hand in his.  Kagome groaned, and a hand drifted up to gingerly cover the gash on her torso.  

            "We need to doctor that." Inuyasha nervously observed, his joy at seeing her awake diminishing a little.

            "I'll do it." Miroku weakly volunteered from across the room.

            "Shut up, monk." Inuyasha shot over his shoulder, staying his hand in consideration for the monk's injuries- and the fact that he didn't want to leave Kagome's side.

            Sango punched him halfheartedly and started dragging herself across the floor, grimacing at the pain in her legs.  Inuyasha gently returned Kagome's hand and went to Sango, picked her up, and carried her over to Kagome.  "I'll help Kagome, and she can help me." Sango told him.  "You and Miroku go outside and do what you can out there."

            Inuyasha nodded in agreement, picked up some supplies, and helped the monk to his feet and out the door.  

            "You first." Sango told her friend.  Kagome would have argued, but recognized the look on Sango's face and abandoned the idea as useless.  She instead pulled up her shirt.  

            Sango began washing the wound with water Inuyasha had carried in while he was waiting for them to wake up.  She noticed a small heap in the corner.  "Kagome?"

            "Hmm?"

            "Shippo hasn't woken up yet?"

            Kagome became suddenly alert and her head whipped around to spot what Sango was talking about.  "Oh, my gosh, I forgot about Shippo!"

            "Easy." Sango cautioned, now rubbing the gash with disinfectant.  "We'll see to him after I'm done with you."

            Kagome relaxed, but kept her worried gaze trained on the unmoving form of the little fox demon.  "Is he okay?  Has anyone checked on him?"

            "No, we were more worried about you.  You were bleeding pretty badly." Sango replied.

            "I'm okay." Kagome assured her, catching the worried look on the demon exterminator's face.  

            "This is a bad wound." Sango said quietly, and something in her tone turned Kagome's head from Shippo to her.  

            "Sango?"

            The older girl shook her head and gave her friend a forced smile.  "Yes?"

            "What is it?"

            She hesitated.  "I- it's nothing."

            "You can tell me, you know, if you want to." Kagome reminded her.

            They sat in silence for a moment as Sango wrapped bandages around Kagome's middle, and Kagome thought she wasn't going to respond.  But then Sango talked, if haltingly.

            "I- I just- worry."

            "Sango-"

            "You and Shippo are the only ones that Naraku hasn't deceived.  He took Kikyo from Inuyasha, took Kohaku, my father, and my village from me, and he took Miroku's grandfather and father from him, besides cursing him with the Wind Tunnel that will kill him unless we kill Naraku first.  Naraku has done all this to us, created all this sorrow…  and I worry about what he has in store for you and Shippo.  Especially you, Kagome.

            "You are the reincarnation of Kikyo, who sparked a desire in Onigumo so intense that he gave his soul and body to the demons.  Onigumo lingers on in Naraku, and some part of him must still want Kikyo.  He wanted her; and yet he killed her.  And Kikyo lives again.  She isn't human, and she isn't who she was."  Sango struggled to put words to her feelings.  "She- she's a priestess with incredible spiritual power, I know that much.  Naraku would be hard pressed to manipulate her as he did fifty years ago.  I'm worried that- that- in the absence of Kikyo, he might turn his attention to you.  Besides being Kikyo's reincarnation, you can fire enchanted arrows that purify demon powers, and you've already almost killed him once.  He has every reason to want to harm you."

            Kagome's eyes were shimmering suspiciously, but she kept her tears dammed.  "Sango, don't worry about me.  Part of the way he was able to trick Inuyasha, Kikyo, and you was because you didn't know about him.  He can't get to my family; no one but Inuyasha and me can travel the well.  And all of you always protect me."

            Sango's hand reached out and brushed the injury on Kagome's chest.  "We didn't do so good a job today."

            "I'm still alive, and I'm not seriously hurt."  She rode over Sango's objections before she could voice them.  "It could have been **much** worse than it was.  And as Shippo told us before, we must all possess remarkable powers to have survived such an encounter.  Please don't worry about me, Sango."

            The demon exterminator shifted her own teary eyes to the fox child in the corner.  Catching the glance, Kagome used the wall to pull herself to her feet, picked him up (gasping at the renewed pain in her torso) and carried him over to where Sango was extricating herself from her demon exterminator's uniform.  Shippo didn't stir, and both girls' posture drooped as they set to work on Sango's battered legs.  

            "And- I worry about Shippo." Sango admitted.  "He's so young- too young for all of this.  It isn't really fair to him to drag him down with us."

            "I know, but he has nowhere else to go.  His father was killed right before Inuyasha and I met him, and he was on his own.  At least this way he has **some** protection, and people who love him."

            Sango, struck by the similarities in Kagome's explanation and why she herself stayed with the group, was quieted, and the girls worked on in a thoughtful silence.

*

            "Inuyasha- thank you." Miroku said.

            The half demon looked up from bandaging Miroku's wounds.  "What for?"

            "What you did today." the monk told him.

            "Hmph." Inuyasha replied, embarrassed.  

            Unseen by his companion, the monk smiled.  He knew Inuyasha well enough to know that he was touched, even if he would never admit it.  He also knew that emotional discussion was most definitely **not** his forte, and when to change the subject.  "You took care of that Asilu in short order."

            "She was nothing." Inuyasha brushed it off and finished doctoring the monk.  

            _Am I to be reduced to discussing the weather?_ Miroku despaired, and began tending to Inuyasha's wounds.  "We shouldn't stay here long.  Naraku will find us."

            Inuyasha nodded in acknowledgement but pointed out, "Sango can't walk or ride Kilala, and Kagome and Shippo are hurt.  Traveling is going to be hard, and it will take a long time to get anywhere."

            "We should probably go back to Kaede's." Miroku opined.

            "Yeah." the half- demon agreed.  "You and I can rig up something for Sango to ride in today, and we can leave tomorrow."

            "That's risky."

            "It's a chance I'm willing to take.  **I** can still fight."

            "As could I, but it would be more prudent to avoid a fight altogether."

            Inuyasha's silence conceded the point.  Miroku knew he wasn't going to change his mind, and so finished bandaging the last cut.  With the aid of his staff, he stood and followed his friend into the woods.

*

            Shippo had what was quite possibly the worst headache in the history of the world.

            What the hell had happened?  He remembered- Kagura, and Kilala- his eyes flew open and he sat bolt upright, only to cry out and clutch his head.

            "Shippo!" the girls chorused, and he felt himself gathered into one pair of arms while another hand soothingly stroked his head.  He snuggled against the comfortable warmth, and whoever was holding him gasped in pain.  Shippo looked up, alarmed.  "Kagome?  What's wrong?"

            She grimaced, and one of her hands came away from his back to hover protectively over her ribs.  "You just- pressed against a cut, is all."

            "Oh, Kagome, I'm sorry!" Shippo cried, his own voice vibrating in his head and making it ring like a bell.  But he didn't care; he'd hurt Kagome!  He deserved it.

            She smiled down at him.  "It's okay, Shippo, really."

            The fox demon child carefully removed himself from her lap, stood, and buried his face in her shoulder.  Kagome murmured softly to him, and she and Sango both ran their hands over his back and hair.  Shippo lapped up the attention like a cat with a saucer of cream.  

            A knocked sounded at the wall beside the door, and the girls looked up.  "Come in!" Kagome called.

            Inuyasha entered, followed by Miroku.  "So the brat's awake." Inuyasha observed, but Kagome could hear the relief and affection buried beneath the false annoyance.  

            "You leave Shippo alone." she chided.  

            He ignored her.  "We'll stay here for the night, and leave in the morning."

            Sango's expression was distinctly unenthused at the prospect of leaving.  

            "Sango, Inuyasha and I made a litter for you to ride in." Miroku told her.

            She gave him a grateful smile.  "Thank you."

            The half demon grunted, and the monk returned the smile warmly.  Sango could feel her cheeks heating.  

            "How about dinner?" Kagome blithely asked, digging through the large yellow pack.  

            "Ramen." Inuyasha immediately suggested.

            "Here we go." Kagome said, pulling out a couple of packs.  Inuyasha took them from her, and she looked up at him in confusion.

            "I'll cook." he explained.  

            Kagome thought she might have a concussion.  "You- cook?"

            "Sure I cook." he defended himself, bristling.  "I've watched you do it a hundred times!"

            Kagome knew better than to object when he tried to do something for her.  "Okay, okay.  Thank you, Inuyasha."  They exchanged their own private smiles.  He headed out the door, proud of himself, and when he was gone the monk, demon exterminator, child fox demon and reincarnated priestess studiously avoided looking at each other, and stifled all but a few sniggers.  

Thanks to all my lovely, kind reviewers!  I was so thrilled with your praise (**and** so sleepless) that I'm finishing this up at 2 in the morning, and I even have to get up at 8 tomorrow.  Yes, I am one of the few, the proud, the insomniacs.  (Maybe there aren't so few insomniacs, admittedly, but there are few in **my** class, let's just put it that way.  Hoo ha!  **Johnny Bravo Reference**)  Cookies to: SailorPsychosis, StarFlare, and Lindy*Girl.  Thanks for the information!  Virtual cookies of your choice go to you too if you review!  


	3. Dinner

            "Dam**MIT**!" Inuyasha yelled, looking in frustration at the mess he'd made of the ramen.  Kagome always made it look so easy!  How the hell did she do it?

            Miroku came outside.  "Trouble?"

            "The ramen." Inuyasha replied through gritted fangs.  

            Miroku lifted his eyebrows at the disaster the half- demon had made of their dinner.  If nothing else, he had talent.  "Let's take it inside and see if Kagome can salvage it."

            "No." Inuyasha refused.

            When ten minutes of arguing failed to produce even the slightest change in Inuyasha's opinion, the monk sighed in defeat and did what he could for it.  Working together, they managed to make the contents of the pot edible, if not exactly pleasant.  

*

            Kagome took one bite and had to choke down both the ramen and her laughter.  What had he done to it?  Instant noodles were notoriously easy to cook, and he'd seen her do it often enough.  How had he managed **not** to pick anything up?  "This is good, Inuyasha.  Thank you for making dinner." she smiled.

            "What are you talking about, Kagome?  You can barely bring yourself to swallow this stuff!" Shippo complained.  

            Inuyasha frowned dangerously and rapped the back of Shippo's head with his fist.  "For its being so awful, you're sure eating a lot of it!"

            "Kagome!" the little fox demon whined, massaging the bump.  "He made my headache come back!"

            "Inuyasha, SIT!  You ought to know better than to hit Shippo when he has a head injury!  And Shippo!" she turned on the child fox demon, who looked extremely taken aback and not a little fearful at her expression.  "You ought to know better than to provoke Inuyasha when he's been nice and done something for all of us, including you!  **I** think the ramen is good.  You ought to thank him."  She turned to the half demon, who had brought his head out of the hole it had made in the floor. Thank you, Inuyasha."

            Inuyasha smirked at Shippo.  **Finally**!  

            Sango and Miroku shared an amused glance.  

            "Shippo." Kagome prompted warningly.

            "Thank you Inuyasha." he muttered resentfully to the floor.

            "I couldn't hear you.  Did you say something?" Inuyasha asked innocently.

            Shippo glared.

            "He said thank you.  Now eat." Kagome commanded, and Inuyasha was in a good enough mood to comply without comment.  

I know this is really short, but I REALLY need to go to bed.  It's 3 in the morning, and I have to get up at 8.  Why do I always decide to update when I have to get up early the next morning?  *hits self on forehead with palm*  The next time you check this story, I'll probably have updated my username to Pyrinsomniac.  Ciao till next time!  Cookies for: StarFlare, Sarah, and LivEvil.  


	4. Morning

            Kagome awoke to someone gently shaking her shoulder and Inuyasha's voice.  "Kagome?  Kagome, wake up, we need to leave."

            "Mmm." she murmured, snuggling into her sleeping bag.  Her drowsiness, the warmth of her bedding, and the soothing quality of Inuyasha's voice all combined to create in her a supremely contented state.

            "Come on, Kagome, wake up!"

            "Fi' more min'tes." she bargained, yawning.

            "No, we have to go."

            Kagome slowly blinked her large eyes open and rubbed them.  Inuyasha was squatting next to her.  "Do you feel all right?  How's your wound?"

            "I need to change my bandages." she replied, awake and frowning.  

            He nodded.  "I'll make sure the monk stays away."

            Her eyes met his soberly.  "I'll need a while to change Sango's, too."

            "You've got it.  There's already water in here, and I've gotten what Miroku and I will need out of your bag."

            "Inuyasha, you **know** I don't like it when you go through my things-" she argued wearily.

            "I know, but they were all right there on the top, and we need to leave."

            "Why are you in such a hurry?"

            He gave her an incredulous stare.  "Naraku knows we're in no condition to fight.  He'll undoubtedly send something after us."  His voice lowered and roughened.  "And I don't want you anywhere **near** a battle right now.  You're far too hurt."

            "I can still fire my arrows, if it comes to that.  I'm not that weak, Inuyasha." she told him, touched.  

            He helped her sit up.  "No, you're not weak.  You're hurt."

            Kagome wriggled her way free of the sleeping bag and began rolling it up.  "You go ahead and tend to Miroku.  Are Sango and Shippo up yet?"

            "Sango's awake, but the brat's gone to sleep again." said Inuyasha, swiftly striding across the room to remedy that.

            "Remember, he has a head injury!" Kagome called after him.

            "That's no injury." Inuyasha scoffed, giving the boy a gentle (for him) fist to the back of the head.

            "Ow!" Shippo wailed pitifully, springing up with obscene energy.  "Kagome!"

            "Inuyasha." Kagome scolded.

            The half- demon merely snorted and made his way out the door.  "Come on, Shippo."

            "What do **I** have to go for?" he whined.

            "So you can help me make breakfast, since you're such an expert." Inuyasha growled, doubling back and snatching up the fox demon child before he could protest further.  

            Kagome looked at Sango.  "Are you feeling all right?"

            "I'm fine." the demon exterminator replied, packing away her own bedding before Kagome could make a move to help.  

            "**You're** first this time." Kagome told Sango, advancing on her with bandages and antiseptics.

            Sango made a face, but complied.  

            "These look painful." Kagome remarked, wincing as she changed the bandages.  

            "I'm used to it." Sango said, with more than a touch of irony.  

            Kagome gave her a look.  "You'll be all right."

            The older girl sighed.  "I'd rather Kohaku be." she confessed, so quietly Kagome barely made out what she'd said.  

            "We'll find a way."

            "But-"

            Kagome spared a moment to put her arm around Sango's shoulder and give it a gentle squeeze.  "We'll find a way." she repeated, with such conviction and determination that Sango couldn't help but believe her.

*

            "That looks painful." Shippo unwittingly echoed Kagome, but he was looking at Miroku's wounds.  

            "That's nothing." Inuyasha said dismissively.  

            "I am in surprisingly good condition, considering." Miroku admitted.  

            "I thought you were making breakfast." Inuyasha barked at Shippo.  

            "You're the grown- up!  You're supposed to be making breakfast!"

            "Maybe you shouldn't criticize my cooking if you can't do better yourself."

            "I can't cook!  I'm only a kid!" Shippo whined indignantly.

            "Boil some water." Inuyasha ordered.

            "But-"

            "Just do it." Miroku muttered out of the side of his mouth.  "Don't test him right now."

            Seething, Shippo set a pot on to boil.  

*

            "You aren't eating much, Sango."

            She looked over at Miroku, surprised to hear concern in his voice.  The sincerity in his eyes was real.  "I'm not very hungry."

            "You need to eat, to keep your strength up." he scolded gently.  

            Inuyasha took this as his cue to see how much Kagome was ingesting.  "He's actually right for once.  You need to eat more than that."

            "She can't!  You ruined this stuff too!" Shippo pushed his food away in disgust.  

            Inuyasha shoved his face in it.  "If anyone ruined it, it was you.  If you were so concerned about the taste maybe you should've done something to actually **help**!"

            "Inuyasha, stop!  Let him up!"

            Shippo's faceful of breakfast dimmed the effectiveness of his argument.  "I did help!  I boiled water, and added the noodles, and stirred it!"

            "And if it turned out badly, it's your fault." the half- demon told him.

            "Drop it, Shippo." Kagome warned.  "Inuyasha, leave him alone."

            "He started it."

            "Do you want me to say it?"

            Inuyasha resumed eating without answering.  _If Kagome weren't hurt..._

*

            Inuyasha carefully placed Sango on the litter he and Miroku had made earlier.  "How's that?"

            "Thank you." she told them.  

            Inuyasha had a one- track mind.  "So it's good?"

            "Yes, thank you."  A miniscule smile lurked at the corners of the demon exterminator's mouth.  

            The boys had rigged a litter large enough for both girls to a transformed Kilala.  Inuyasha put Kagome in next.  "All right?" he asked, anxiously peering into her face.

            "Yes, " she smiled, "I'm good."  

            Miroku and Shippo would be riding on Kilala's back, and Inuyasha, the least injured among them, could keep up on his own.  

            Sango and Kagome grimaced a little as Kilala left the ground, her takeoff jarring them.  It was a little unsettling, flying through the air with only a flimsy- feeling litter for support, but exciting too.  

            _Still,_ Kagome thought to herself, _I'd much rather be riding with Inuyasha.  Preferably in his arms._ she mentally admitted, blushing.  

            "Kagome?"

            She shook herself awake.  "What?"

            Sango gave her an odd look.  "Are you okay?"

            "Yes, why?"

            "You were blushing." Sango pointed out.

            Kagome blushed again.  "Oh.  Yes.  Well.  That." she gibbered.  "I- um- well- it's nothing."

            Sango gave her another look- _we'll talk about this later_- but merely replied, "Oh.  I see."  

            _How do girls ever know what they're talking about?_ Miroku wondered.  

I think I'm going to end this soon.  Relatively soon, anyway.  This won't be one of those fifty- chapter stories.  Don't ask me how the litter's hitched to Kilala, I have no CLUE.  It's there because I'm the author and I **said** so, dammit!  Quit questioning my authori- ti!  Cartmen  Cookies to: um, well, I don't have anybody on my list, but if you reviewed, get back to me.  Just write a review for this chapter and you get DOUBLE the virtual cookies!  Fun fun fun!  


	5. Attacked Again

            They were almost at Kaede's village when it happened.  

            The group had been eating their dinner when Inuyasha and Miroku suddenly put down their chopsticks.  Both boys looked apprehensive, and cast concerned glances at the girls.  

            "What is it?" Sango asked, before her back snapped into an unusually stiff posture and her eyes widened.  "Oh…"

            "What?" Kagome asked, looking from one member of the group to another.  

            "A great number of demons are headed our way." Miroku told her grimly, using his staff to pull himself upright.  He looked to Shippo and Kilala.  "Protect Kagome and Sango for us."

            "Miroku, you're wounded too." Sango quietly pointed out.

            The monk merely gave her an eloquent glance before helping her over to the firecat.  

            Kagome gasped.  "I sense a jewel shard!"

            "Shit." Inuyasha muttered.  _You'd think that just **once** we'd be able to catch a break…_  

            A frightened Shippo increased his height and helped the girls onto Kilala, who had transformed.  Since they had taken off the litter, this was proving to be a difficult, painful, and dangerously time- consuming exercise.    

            Inuyasha and Miroku, meanwhile, were striding toward the demon army.  

            Kagura was at its head, with a smaller figure next to her…

            Inuyasha growled.  Every time Kohaku showed up, it seemed like Sango wound up getting seriously hurt.  As badly as she was wounded now, an altercation with her brother would kill her.  

            Miroku's shoulders acquired a resentful rigidity, but he was grateful that Kanna, at least, was not there.  _Although I wonder why Naraku didn't send her… perhaps he thought this would be enough.  _

_            I fear that he was right._

            Kohaku raised an arm; the instant it started down again, the demons rushed forward.  

            Inuyasha ran to meet them with an eager cry, while Miroku occupied himself with Kagura.  The poisonous insects that had arrived behind the demon army prevented him from using his wind tunnel, so the monk was mostly limited to dodging her attacks.  

            "Come now, monk.  Surely not even you are foolish enough to believe that you can hold out against me for long?" Kagura taunted him, sending a Dance of Blades attack at him.  "Give up now and die in peace.  I'll even make it quick."

            Miroku could not allow himself the distraction of a reply; moving as much as was necessary to avoid Kagura's attacks was tearing open his gashes again, and it was taking all his concentration just to keep moving, not to mention anticipating her next attack.  

            Inuyasha was keeping the demons at bay, but their numbers prevented him from doing any more than that.  He knew this was all part of Naraku's love of the game; with the numbers there, they could have easily surrounded the little group and beset them on all sides.  

            Naraku's way was to wear them down little by little.  As soon as Inuyasha began making alarming enough headway, the demons would move in.

            It all made his blood boil.  The Tetsusaiga seemed to agree.

            A cry to his left distracted him.  

            Kagura had caught Miroku in a Dance of Blades volley, and the monk was being tossed back and cut up at the same time.  

            Inuyasha ran, knowing anyway that he'd never make it.

            A sacred arrow struck the ground in front of the monk, effectively dispelling Kagura's present attack and thwarting the follow- up.  

            "Kagome!  Don't get involved!" Inuyasha yelled, a slight thread of panic tingeing his voice.  

            Kagura smiled, always a bad sign; however, it was not she who stepped forward.  

            Kohaku raised his weapon with a terrifyingly blank expression.  

            "Kohaku, **no**!  Don't hurt Kagome!" Sango cried, throwing herself in front of her friend and raising Hiraikotsu as a shield.  

            Kohaku sent the weapon flying at her again and again, and although the demon exterminator managed to block him every time, Inuyasha could see her wearing down.  

            "Pay attention." Kagura ordered, tossing her Blades at him.

            Inuyasha took shelter behind the Tetsusaiga.  _Sango and Kagome_…

            "Foxfire!" he heard Shippo cry.

            _Oh shit.  We're doomed for sure if **Shippo's** joining in…_

            But Miroku fought his way through the demons to Kagura and, despite the insects hovering directly behind him, opened his wind tunnel.

            Kagura was caught off guard but recovered quickly; she removed the feather from her hair and flew up before Inuyasha could get to her.

            Miroku immediately covered the wind tunnel, but the damage had been done; a few more minutes and he'd be worthless.  

            _And if this battle drags on long enough_, Inuyasha thought worriedly, _he'll be out of time altogether._  

            _I **won't** let that happen._  

            The monk gave no sign of pain beyond a grimace, and he continued fighting, using his staff and the ofuda.  (A/N:  I THINK that's what it was.  I'm not entirely sure.)  

            Inuyasha fought his way through to the other boy, and just in time, it appeared; Miroku was beginning to break out in a sweat, and his movements were slowing.  

            "Dammit, Miroku, you idiot!" Inuyasha shouted, digging in his heels in front of the beleaguered monk.  

            "Inu- yasha." the other managed weakly.  "The girls need your help.  Go."

            "You'll die if I leave you, and I already told you, I don't care whether you die or not, but you're **not** doing it while I'm around, got that?" Inuyasha yelled back, made even more irritated because he knew that what he'd just said didn't entirely make sense.

            Miroku, recognizing the futility of trying to argue with the half- demon, stepped up to fight beside him instead.  However, the poison progressing through his system soon drove him back.  

            "Miroku!"

*

            Sango heard Inuyasha's screaming at the monk and knew what was happening without having to look.  "Kagome."

            "Yes, I know."

            "We have to help them somehow."

            "Of course." the other girl agreed easily.  

            "Foxfire!" Shippo jumped into the air again, flinging the blue flames at a demon.  It knocked it back a few steps; the demon merely came right back.

            Kilala bit it in half.

            "Kilala, Shippo, we need for you to do something." Sango said, an idea forming.

            "Sure." Shippo squeaked.  _I can do this, I can do this, I have to be brave…_

            "Shippo, can you hold them off long enough for Kagome and me to mount Kilala?"

            "I'll try." he replied doubtfully, watching Kilala rip apart another demon who ventured too close.  

            "Kagome, help me up." Sango requested.  As the younger girl did so, Kohaku flung his weapon again, but Shippo knocked it aside with his foxfire and Kilala killed a demon who thought to take advantage of the distraction.  "Shippo, as soon as Kagome gets up here, turn into that- bubble thing- and get away from here." Sango told him.  

            "All right." the fox demon child agreed nervously.  

            Sango reached down to help Kagome clamber up, and the girl was halfway there when she fell backwards with a cry and Kilala roared in pain.  

            They'd forgotten about Kagura.  

            Sango dove halfway off the firecat and bodily dragged Kagome aboard; Sango could feel her own wounds reopening, but she was more worried about the fresh gashes on Kagome.

*

            _Oh, no!  That sounded like Kagome!_  With a fresh burst of energy, Inuyasha sliced through enough demons to see the girls.  

            Sango dragged Kagome on Kilala; Kagome was bloody and motionless.  

            Forgetting all about Miroku, Inuyasha let loose a bellow of rage and cleaved through demons left, right and center, heading toward the girls.  

            He was forced back by a most unexpected- and unwelcome- tornado of a wolf.  

            Giving his own battle cry, Kouga leapt right into the middle of the battle and sliced a path through Naraku's demon army on his way to "his woman."  Shunting Sango aside (and, Inuyasha noted furiously, very nearly causing her to lose her seat on Kilala) he snatched Kagome up and ran off with her.  

            Inuyasha didn't even notice the remainder of the demons retreating, or Kohaku catching a ride on one of them; all his attention was focused on the wolf demon and where he was going.  

*

            Kagome groaned, then cried out.  She'd never felt so horrible in her life.  _Is this what it feels like for Inuyasha every time **he's** wounded…?_  

            Speaking of Inuyasha, there was his voice…  poor boy, he sounded so terribly anxious…  And… _oh, no.  Kouga's voice too._  

            As always, the two voices of Kouga and Inuyasha were rapidly rising in argument.  Well.  That wouldn't do.  

            Kagome groaned louder, and the bickering instantly ceased.  "Kagome?  Kagome, come on, open your eyes." Inuyasha pleaded.  

            _He sounds so worried._

            "C'mon, Kagome…" Kouga urged.  

            With massive effort, and two failures, her great brown eyes finally opened.  "Inu- yasha." 

            Kouga looked stricken, but covered it almost immediately.  

            "I'm here." Inuyasha assured her, squeezing the hand he'd snatched up.  

A/N:  I know that was incomplete, but I'm going to flatter myself and call it a cliffhanger and go ahead and post it, instead of giving it a real ending and making you wait longer.  Yes, it's all for you.  ^_~  Cookies to: LivEvil and StarFlare.  


	6. Standing Together

            "Sango bandaged your wounds while you were unconscious." Inuyasha told Kagome, still looking worriedly into her eyes.  

            Kagome struggled to sit up; both Inuyasha and Kouga tried to lay her back down, but when she refused to stay there, Inuyasha reluctantly helped her lie back against him.  "How is she?  What about Miroku, and Shippo and Kirara?"

            "She's… she'll be all right."  Inuyasha didn't sound entirely convinced.   

            Kagome craned her head back and shot him a look.  

            "Her other wounds reopened, but she'll be fine.  She always is." Inuyasha reminded her.

            Kagome didn't remove her gaze from his face, and Inuyasha felt it heating.  _You're still not telling me something…_

            He huffed.  "She tended to you, Shippo and Kirara before she'd let Miroku patch her up, so she lost a lot of blood and fainted… but she'll be fine." he elaborated.

            "Are you sure?"

            "Yes!" he insisted.

            "What about Miroku?  Didn't he draw in the poison insects?"

            "Yeah, but Sango used some of the medicines you keep in your pack, and he's okay for now."

            "For now?" she demanded.

            "We'll have to get some more herbs later- even before we get to Kaede- but he's fine for now."

            "Shippo?"

            The half- demon snorted derisively.  "Perfectly fine."

            "Kirara?"

            "I fixed her up myself." he said, and she heard a thread of pride in his voice.  

            She smiled and leaned back against him.  "Thank you, Inuyasha."  Her gaze met that of the momentarily quiet wolf- demon.  "And thank you, Kouga.  You really helped us."

            "The demons ran away when he got here!  He didn't do anything!" Inuyasha protested, outraged.

            "They ran when they saw me coming.  That ought to tell you something, Dog- Turd." Kouga sneered.

            Kagome could sense Inuyasha seething behind her.  "The demons knew that they couldn't take on both of you.  You **both** did it.  Please, don't fight?" she pleaded wearily.

            Kouga looked as though he'd like to say something outlandishly rude, but his affection for Kagome checked his tongue.  "You'll really be all right?"

            She smiled gently at him, and Inuyasha's heart swelled with jealousy.  "I will.  Thank you, Kouga."

            He took her hand carefully in his own.  "I'll always be there for you, Kagome." he pledged, and stood to leave.  "Dog- Turd, I'll let you off this once, but if it happens again…" he let his words trail off ominously and was gone before Inuyasha could do more than sputter in indignation.  

*

            "What are you doing up?" Inuyasha demanded, jumping out of the tree he'd slept in and putting an arm around Kagome's shoulder; the girl was trembling from the exertion of her walk in the woods.

            "I had to gather some herbs." she replied, gesturing to the small bag she carried.

            "You should have let someone else do that." Inuyasha chided.

            They both turned at a shuffling noise at the door.  Miroku was half- carrying Sango outside.  "Did we hear your voices?" he asked, looking from one to the other.  "Is something wrong?"

            "No, nothing's wrong." Kagome replied, smiling reassuringly at them.

            "Look, the sun's rising." Sango observed.  She and Miroku moved to stand beside the other couple.  

            Shippo stumbled sleepily out of the hut with Kilala in his arms.  "What's going on?"

            "Look, Shippo." Kagome told him.  "The sunrise."

            Shippo moved to lean against Kagome and Inuyasha's legs, and Kilala, ignoring her wounds, leapt to Sango's shoulder.  They stood quietly together, looking at the gorgeous scene before them, each immersed in their own thoughts.

            Inuyasha's arm tightened the slightest bit around Kagome.  She had looked so like Kikyo, bloody and white, those large, beautiful eyes closed…  _But she's not Kikyo.  She's Kagome.  And I **won't** lose Kagome as I lost Kikyo; I refuse to let it happen again._

_            I don't think I could take it._  She was his source of strength, his refuge.  _I want the best things for her._ he admitted to himself.  _I want her to be happy; I want her to laugh; I want her to **live**.  And I want to be there for it, I want to see it all._  Kikyo's face rose again in his mind's eye.  _I only wish I were allowed to be there with her… but we have the here and now._ he reminded himself, _and, for the moment, that's enough._  

            Sango was relishing having Miroku's arm around her in a proper position, for once.  _I just wish,_ she thought painfully fervently, _that he was able to keep his hands to himself.  You would think he'd be able to; he can be so wonderfully sweet, and thoughtful, and perceptive… and then he goes and gropes someone._  But the knowing didn't stop the wishing, or the stubborn little flame of hope in her heart that maybe, someday…

            _We'll defeat Naraku._ Shippo thought, his optimistic confidence rising with the sun.  _And we'll all do it together._  He nuzzled back into Kagome and Inuyasha's legs, content merely to be with them.  

            _She's so strong._ Miroku thought, sneaking an admiring glance at the top of Sango's shining head.  _She shouldn't be able to move with those injuries._  He heaved a mental sigh.  _And so lovely, too… but she's wounded,_ he sternly reminded himself,_ so I can't touch her._  

            But he was touching her; he was half- holding her up.  

            And it felt so **right** to have her there…

            The sun shone down upon the group.  They stood, together, looking forward, as they always would.

            "Kagome?" Shippo asked quietly, hesitantly.

            "Yes, Shippo?" she replied, letting the top of her free hand stroke his head.

            "We'll always be together, won't we?"

            She was silent for a moment.  "We'll be together until the end." she finally, cryptically answered, sneaking a half- glance at the boy at her side.  He met her gaze squarely.  

            Shippo knew enough to be too afraid to ask her when the end would be.  

            Besides, it was enough to be with them just for now.  

A/N: Sango passed out while tending to Kirara, so Inuyasha had to finish.  Sucky ending, I know, but I couldn't come up with anything better.  Umm, this is the end of the story…  Cookies to Trillium, StarFlare, and Battlewhore, and thank you to everyone who read and reviewed.  Or just read.  ^_^


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